Class of yoga with meditate hands of Asia woman doing meditation Healthcare, lifestyle concept

Create the right environment for meditation

Meditation is a beautiful way to relieve stress and find inner peace. For successful meditation, the environment plays a role. It should be pleasant and calming. What does the ideal space for meditation look like?


What is meditation?

Meditation is a technique that aims to calm the mind and improve concentration. There are many different types of meditation, but generally it involves focusing on the present moment and clearing the mind of distracting thoughts. A quiet and peaceful environment can help calm the mind and improve concentration. Meditation can thus help reduce stress and improve well-being. A long-term effect is best developed through a regular routine of meditating.

Why should a quiet environment be created for meditating?

Young relaxed woman doing yoga at home with candles and incense.
Young relaxed woman doing yoga at home with candles and incense.

A quiet atmosphere without distractions can help to focus better on breathing and mind. A special meditation environment also often causes one to feel more comfortable in their body and more able to engage in meditation. If meditation is done regularly, it can be helpful to create a specific room or area that is reserved specifically for meditation. This area can be specially designed. For example, be furnished with beautiful beeswax candles or decorated with wholesale semi precious stones that can radiate a calming effect through color and shape.

What is the right place to meditate?

First of all, a quiet and peaceful place should be chosen. This can be a room in the apartment, but also a quiet place in nature. It is important that this place is free from disturbances. It should not be noisy there and it should not be a passage room. A comfortable temperature and sufficient air circulation can also help to make meditation successful. Sometimes essential oils or a scented candle can also help to put you in the right mood.

Does it make sense to turn on music while meditating?

Some people swear by the calming effect of music during meditation. However, care should be taken to ensure that it is not distracting or disruptive. It is important that the music has a calming effect. Therefore, the music should not be too loud and should not contain abrupt changes or a lot of bass that could disrupt concentration. It can also be helpful to choose music that has been composed specifically for meditation and has a certain frequency or rhythm that is meant to synchronize brain waves. This way, the music can assist in getting into a meditative state more quickly.

Source:
wichayada – stock.adobe.com
Sviatlana – stock.adobe.com

Kitchen

Stone design in the home area: design ideas

Discreet and elegant, striking and rustic, shimmering and extravagant – stone convinces in its many facets. Because the material impresses with its robust texture and the particularly noble look. It is also not surprising that various accents with natural stone are welcome in every living area. Thus, natural stone can be used in a variety of ways. But the high costs and the difficult workmanship, which always requires the work of an expert, do not make the material usable for everyone. But there is a solution! Thin stone is the name of the innovation, which is classic natural stone – only much thinner! Because we are only talking about a stone fleece. And thus the avant-garde design ideas with stone can actually be integrated into every area.

Stone in the bathroom

If you take a look at modern bathroom concepts, you will increasingly come across stone. Sandstones in particular have proven themselves, which convince by the bright look. At the same time, the natural material is of course popular due to its robust nature, especially in the wet room. But not every type of stone is suitable here. It is therefore important that you look for natural stone, which is not affected by water. Otherwise, the wrong species in the wrong area can lead to unsightly water stains. But thin stone can also be easily integrated into the bathroom. Here, for example, it makes itself beautiful around the bathtub.

Ennification of the outdoor area with stone

Outdoors, stone is the material par excellence. After all, it ensures a diverse look, withstands numerous loads and is not affected by wind and weather. How about, for example, a stone wall that frames your property? Even gates, which are held by columns made of natural stone, have always enjoyed great popularity. Regardless of this, you can also use the material specifically to design your garden. So it paves paths and characterizes the terrace.

Kitchen in stone look

Even in the kitchen you do not have to do without the noble look of stone. Especially in modern living concepts, this can provide an extravagant touch. So you can beautify the futuristic kitchen in high gloss with chic back walls in marble look. Alternatively, you can also rely on a rustic touch, with stone fleece in wall look. But walls and floors can also be embellished with stone. And as a small decoration tip: If you have a soft spot for stone look, you can also integrate it wonderfully through a few kitchen accessories.

Reending the living area with natural stone

Especially the innovation around the stone fleece allows you to integrate natural stone into your living area for a small sum and with little effort. So no high weight comes together here and you can even lay the material yourself. How about, for example, a wall that you dress completely in stone? Ideal here is the wall behind the dining table or the living wall.

wood

Authentic Japanese charred wooden facades are trendy

Wood is water-resistant by means of a charring of the wood surface. In Japan, this art is called Shousugiban. The method chars the wood without burning it. By means of carbonation, wood becomes waterproof and more durable. Furthermore, the resulting layer protects against fungal and insect infestation.

Shousugiban has parallels in Europe

The charring of the wood is an ancient technique that has been used to preserve it. In Germany, it was found for example in half-timbered construction. There, the lower sides of the beams placed on the foundation were charred. This effectively protected against rot and was practiced until the beginning of the 20th century. In some regions of Europe, the roof beams were used to protect them from the dreaded sponge infestation. Conservationists try to preserve this building technique for posterity, but it is hardly known in Germany.

Shousugiban in Japan with ancient tradition

In Japan, Shousugiban is still known today as a traditional firing technique, with which the renewable raw material wood is preserved naturally. The outer layer is charred after a specified drain. This method creates long-lasting and almost maintenance-free facades. This controlled charring of the wood not only protects the facade, it offers numerous aesthetic advantages. The structure of the wood is underlined. The natural beauty of the grain really comes to the fore. The attraction lies in highlighting beauty through the actually devastating fire and bringing transience into the center of contemplation. When looking at such buildings, man is encouraged to think.

How Shousugiban works

With the Shousugiban, there are several work steps that lead to the final result:

  1. Charcarboning the wood
  2. Cooling down
  3. Cleaning
  4. Finishing with an oil

Traditionally, the Japanese cypress, called “Sugi”, is treated during charring. However, many other types of wood can also be used. These include e.B.

  • Cedar
  • Pine
  • Larch

The word Japanese word “Shousugiban” means translated into German means that boards made of cedar wood are burned. In addition to sealing and preserving, the charring has other positive effects. The material is more fire-resistant and protected against vermin and termites. Experts say the wood will remain maintenance-free for a period of 80 to 100 years. If it is additionally sealed with oil, the shelf life can be extended even further.

Holzwand

Aesthetics amplified by Shousugiban

In addition to strengthening the material properties, there are extensive aesthetic improvements. Wood, which is treated by Japanese charring, produces very special view elements. The charred facade has unique charm. It stands in particular contrast to its surroundings, to other houses, to trees and to the garden. In European latitudes, the sight still seems very unfamiliar.

The visually beautiful effects are prominent for example at a Shousugiban house of “Schwartz and Architecture” near the American Silicon Valley. The architects were inspired by the surrounding nature. They took natural surfaces as role models, including bark, leaves and boulders. The two-story house with its Shousugiban facade fits well into the surroundings in this way. Other buildings use the contrasts that make the charred facades possible. Thus, bright and white interiors can be brought in pleasant contrast to the outer shell.

Increasingly, the desire of builders to build houses in a natural way is emerging today. Shousugiban facades do not require chemical wood preservatives. As a rule, the charring of the boards takes place on site according to the traditional operations.

How does Shousugiban traditionally work?

Three boards are bound together to form a triangular tube. They are placed vertically, a paper is inflamed in them. Due to the chimney function of the tube, a uniform and continuous flame of the wood surfaces is achieved. If the upper layers are charred, the boards are separated again and everything is extinguished with water. In the present, wood is treated with industrial carbonation systems according to this method. This results in standardized products.

What is the significance of Shousugiban in Europe?

Until recently, the method was not widely used in Europe, but it is becoming increasingly important. In the sense of sustainable construction, she finds her lovers. The charcoal layer is fixed for interiors and furniture.

What Kind of European woods can be refined using Shousugiban?

Since Europe is located at similar latitudes as Japan, the technique can also be applied to growing woods. These would be e.g. fir, yew, spruce, pine and cedar.

For more information click on the following posts:

Unique wood with shousugiban

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